Wizards Chess: Rook vs Queen
by babi-gurl-chels
Summary: “There are other women I can marry, Gin, just please don’t leave me." My favorite! Please review :D


AN: Just something floating around in my head

AN: Just something floating around in my head.

They hadn't always been best friends. In fact, for the majority of their lives, they'd despised each other. Even at school he was always this stuck-up, snobby little prat who coward behind his father, and she was just another red-haired, Potter-supporting pain in his ass. There was never a missed opportunity to make the others life a living hell.

It was like that for five years. But in her sixth year he was suddenly different. Don't misunderstand, he was still a stuck-up prat—and still is to this day—but he wasn't cruel to her anymore, he looked like a sex god, and he defiantly didn't follow his father anymore either. And that began the third most exciting and frustrating period in Ginny Weasley's life, that's when they first started dating.

It was never more serious then some snog sessions in a broom closet, but maybe that was a good thing. Ginny never was convinced that he didn't first ask her out by just grabbing and kissing her in the middle of the Great Hall just to cause a stir among their peers. And cause a stir it did. A BIG stir. Their Hogwarts relationship lasted five months, which came to a screeching halt the day of his graduation. Draco calmly stated that this wasn't going to be right for him at this stage in his life. He said maybe we could try this again someday. Ginny icily replied "maybe not", and walked away… and she didn't see him again until five years later.

At that time the wizrading world was trying to piece itself together after the war and she was working a thankless job at the ministry as an assistant to the Head of the Department of Lost Wizards, Houses, Brooms, and Flying Cars—a fairly new department, created because of the war—when Draco Malfoy stepped into the office report a lost heirloom, and decided to screw up her life once again.

When they went out that night, and she told herself that he asked her out only so they could catch up on old times; Ginny scolded herself for finding him handsome, and reminded herself constantly that this date meant nothing. And she was still trying to convince herself of that when she snuck out of his bedroom the next morning—setting off every alarm in the process, which proved once and for all that it's just as hard to sneak out of the Malfoy mansion as it is to sneak in. She had tried, as expected, to ignore him after that first night, but that man is too damn persistent for his own good.

That began the second most absurd and exhilarating time of Ginny Weasley's life, the _second_ time they started dating. This Draco was different then the first one, but he was even better. This Draco wasn't some teenage kid who sneered and whined, this Draco was considered one of the Elites of society, so when you walked into a restaurant with him, you were immediately escorted to the finest table, and you were always the first to receive your meal. It was defiantly convenient to have him around. She loved when he would randomly decide to send her a bouquet of flowers to brighten her day, and she even liked the way her co-workers would shoot jealous glares at her for landing such a man, because she couldn't believe it herself.

But the thing she loved the most was that he still had this little crooked smile that made her knees weak, and she liked to think of it as _her _smile, because she was the only one he graced it with. Besides that, he was great shag and could make her scream for hours on end.

But, like before, this relationship ended after a few short months. He was the head of all the Malfoy companies and he had to go France to finish another one of his big plans for expansion. He would be gone for a year, and Ginny just couldn't bring herself to have a long distance relationship. He begged her to just come with him; after all, didn't she hate her job anyway? She refused, kissed him goodbye and sent him on his plane. She broke up with him by owl two days later, and didn't hear from him until he returned.

His one year in France had somewhere had turned into two, and when he returned, he returned with a beautiful woman on his arm, with the Malfoy engagement ring on her finger.

Her name was Belle Swan, and she was perfect. She was beautiful, intelligent, witty, and high class; she danced gracefully and laughed merrily. Ginny first met her at their engagement party that Draco threw once he arrived back in England, and disliked her immediately. She was too perfect, and she wasn't right for Draco. Ginny could never see Belle and Draco watching old movies on the couch while munching on popcorn, Ginny could never see them shagging on the kitchen table, or drinking milk from the carton. Belle was the perfect woman, everything any man could want and more, and still Ginny was convinced Draco didn't—couldn't—love Belle.

But Draco proved her wrong. It was six months after the engagement party and at this point she and Draco had become close again—only this time there was none of the horizontal tango going on. He would come over and they would play some muggle video games or, his personal favorite Wizards Chess, with some butterbeers and snacks thrown in, and then he would head to the mansion and back to his fiancé. But it was in times like this that he was relaxed and carefree. They could laugh and joke and play and tease, it was in the times like this that Ginny felt like she really knew him. As long as they just made sure to never talk about the past. For some reason, that night was the exception. She liked to blame it on the more then normal consumption of alcohol.

He had looked at her with his intense grey eyes. "Ginny, why did you break up with me those two years ago? Why didn't you come with me to France?" He sounded hurt.

Ginny swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. "I- I don't remember. Anyway, it's not like it matters, you didn't miss me too much anyways."

They sat in silence for a long time before he answered.

He whispered so low she had to strain to hear him "I did care. And I missed you so much sometimes it still hurts."

_Oh no…_

She don't know who leaned in first, but before she knew it their lips touched and had reawakened the fire in her veins, it was then that she realized how desperately in love she was with her best friend. It was so much she wanted to scream, or cry, but instead she fell asleep on his shoulder.

The next morning was a disaster. Belle had been worried when Draco hadn't returned the night before so she came to Ginny's flat and came upon the sight of Draco and her propped up against the couch, leaning against each other, still holding their remote controllers. She screamed loud enough to wake the neighbors up, started crying and apparated away, leaving a very confused and flustered Draco and Ginny behind.

Belle had called off the wedding and wouldn't see Draco, and nobody could figure out why. It was only a kiss, which shouldn't have happened, but they hadn't slept together. And there was no way she could have known the kiss had even had happened.

For the next three days Draco was heartbroken. Ginny had never seen him so low before and it scared her. She knew then that it was Belle he wanted, and it broke her heart. It was that night that she realized what she had to do. To make the man she hopelessly loved happy, she had to get him back the girl he loved.

So she steeled her courage, marched herself down to the four star hotel Belle was staying at and rapped on her door. She was sure she'd never seen anyone more surprised then Belle was.

After Belle got over her shock, she glared. "Go away."

Ginny scowled. "Not until you take him back." When all she received was a glare, Ginny sighed, pushed her way into the apartment and shut the door. "There's something you need to know before you throw away the best bloody thing in your life." Gulp. "I'm in love with Draco. Draco's in love with you. And since you make him happy, I'm going to sit in your apartment all night if I have to until you agree to make me wear those hideous dresses you picked out for your bridesmaids at your wedding."

Surprisingly, it took less then that. For a woman who, only three days before, threw her engagement ring at her fiancé she sure was ready to take him back. She had one condition: she would trust Ginny's word that nothing had happened and that they were just best friends, she would take back Draco and continue with the wedding, on the condition that Ginny would be no more then an acquaintance to Draco from now on. No more game nights at her flat, no more bringing each other to events if Belle couldn't make it. No more best friends.

It was hard to agree to. But she could do this- she _would_ do this. Because she wanted him to be happy. Because he had chosen Belle to marry. She agreed, and Belle had rushed off to Draco's flat to make-up.

Lying in bed that night she couldn't sleep. That funny cell phone contraption kept ringing every time Draco called to give her the 'good news.' She didn't answer. A casual acquaintance wouldn't answer at 3am. And, Merlin help her, she was going to hold up her side of the bargain.

She refused all invitations to join him for lunch, and didn't send him messages by owl anymore. She was hurting him, she knew, but it was all for the best. It was like Wizards Chess: he would lose his shabby rook but he'd keep his perfect queen. Sacrifices had to be made.

He didn't agree. After two weeks of her avoiding him, he finally got desperate enough to come to the Ministry of Magic and corner her at work. It was three days before his wedding, and he should have been at his final dress robe fittings or overseeing seating arrangements, but instead he stormed into the MoM, intimidating her boss into giving her a 'break.'

"What's going on?" he demanded once he had her trapped in the hallway. Ginny was usually a decent liar, but she always had trouble lying to Draco. And she wasn't ready to have this conversation.

"Draco, what are you doing here? I'm supposed to be working…"

"Your boss has graciously agreed you could use another break."

"Draco, I can't do this." Her voice sounded weary, even to her own ears.

"Do what, Gin?" His voice was soft, and he tilted her chin up to see her eyes. "Ever since that night you went to talk to Belle for me, you've made yourself disappear."

"I've been busy." She mumbled.

"That's a lie, and we both know it." he said, his voice still soft, but now the hurt was back.

She bit her lip, praying to Gods she didn't _cry_!

"I miss you, Gin."

Taking a shaky breath, she looked at him. "I know you don't understand, Drake, but I made Belle a promise. I'm sorry; you'll have to ask her." And with that, she walked past him and back into her office.

Work passed in a blur. And before she knew it, she was at home, in a giant Weird Sisters shirt and some comfy pj bottoms, microwaving some lasagna for dinner and hoping she still had some comfort food in her freezer when she heard her doorbell ring.

And there stood Draco Malfoy, dripping wet from the rain outside and panting for breath as though he'd just run up the 12 flights of stairs to her door.

"Your Floo was off." He stated, as though that explained everything. She continued to just stare at him. "Can I come in?"

She stepped aside and allowed him inside her flat, feeling self conscious about her choice of attire now.

"Draco, you shouldn't be-." She started, unsure.

"I talked to Belle." His voice was now steady, firm, and not at all amused. "We need to talk, Gin." She gulped.

"It sounds like you're going to break up with me," she tried to laugh, to ease the mood, not very successful, "but we're not dating, Drake."

"No. And I think you already took care of ending us when we were dating without any say from me." He just about spat this at her, shocking her. They had only mentioned this once before, and that was when they were drunk. "But if you think you're going to get to end our friendship without any resistance from me, you'd better think again!"

"I thought you said you talked to Belle. Didn't she tell you-?"

"About what she made you promise to? _Yes_." His nostrils flared. "She had no right to request that."

"She had every right to!" Ginny argued, as much as she didn't want to. "You are marrying her, and if you need to give up a friend on the way to make the marriage work, well…"

"She had no right to tell you not be friends with me. She can't choose to get rid of people I care about because she doesn't approve."

"It was a valid concern. We do have a little past behind us. Besides, what's the loss of a Rook if you keep the Queen, right?"

He looked ready to yell something, before his expression changed, softened, and he sat down heavily on her couch, resting his head in his hands. "You're no Rook, Gin."

She took a seat next to him, but said nothing.

"And you're right; she has a valid reason to be intimidated by you. You've held the Queens spot in my life for years. And I'm ready to let her overthrow you."

"Draco…" Ginny's chest was constricting.

"I'm in love with you, Gin!" He blurted, his voice strained with emotion. "I've never stopped loving you. And yet, you always seemed you evade me. At Hogwarts, I was scared about what would happen once I graduated. By the time I knew I was only going to feel those sparks with you, you were graduated and long gone."

"Draco, you don't have to…"

"Just let me get this out while I can." He took a deep breath. "And then I saw you again. You were changed, but still undeniably yourself. And I was addicted. Gods, how I wanted you. Blaise would have such fun teasing me about my ridiculously obvious attraction to you." She sat next to him, unable to believe her ears.

"And then that trip to France came along. And I had barely reached foreign soil when I received your owl." Now he was glaring at her. "_Merlin_, I hated you for that. And then I met Belle and she was perfect. Exactly the kind of woman I imagined I'd marry some day when I was younger, and she seemed to love me, and I enjoyed spending time with her, and I thought 'If I can't have Ginny, I'll have to settle for second best.'

"But she knew. Once we were back in London, it became obvious to her you meant so much more to me, so when she showed up that morning in your flat, she knew she had lost." He looked at her, head on, his eyes dead serious but shining as they looked back at her.

"There are other women I can marry, Gin, just please don't leave me. Even if you're just my best friend, you mean too much to me."

"Stop it, Draco. Between me and her, you chose her! I was trying to make sure you were happy!"

"I never knew you were even an option!"

"Why?" Ginny whispered, and then she was crying. "Why, Draco? Why did you wait until three days before you wedding to tell me _this?_" She practically wailed, but she didn't care.

"Ginny…"

"You stupid git, I love you too!" She didn't stop at that, though.

"Gin--!"

"I've always loved you, and now you're getting bloody married to bloody Miss Perfect and--!"

He caught her chin with his hands and crushed his lips to hers. He always did know how to shut her up effectively…

When he pulled away slightly, she followed him, trying to prolong the kiss. "Gin?"

"Hmm?" His forehead rested against hers.

"I'm not getting married to Belle." And as her eyes snapped open to his, he held up his ringless fourth finger as proof, and he sat there, smiling at her breathtakingly with _her_ smile. "But we already reserved the church, and all the preparations have been made…"

She gaped at him. Huh?

"I would be a shame to not have a wedding and disappoint all those poor guests."

"Draco, I'm confused…"

He just smirked. "I think you should marry me, Ginerva Weasley." He slipped a ring on her finger. "What do you say? Want to get married in two days?"

A happy feeling was radiating from her chest and spreading all the way to the tips of her toes. A beaming smile lit up her face. "Well, it _would_ be a shame to disappoint all those guests…!"

--

And that began the most exhilarating and satisfying time of her life: the rest of her life she spent married to Draco bloody Malfoy.

A/N: I, personally, like it. : Hope you feel the same! Review, oh beloved readers, and make me feel like writing this was worth my while!


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